Weird white stuff

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Chrenobeno

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Hi guys.

put in this price of drift wood a week ago I soaked in hot water for a few hours. Brand new tank, de chlorinated the water and added bacterlife and a few days ago dosed with ammoinia. I have had cloudy water since I started and then this weird white stuf all over the wood and some of the gravel. I’ve purchased some plants today and want to plant them? Is this okay with this stuff and what is it? Is it safe? Hope someone can help!
 

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Hi,

Normally it will burn out in time and plants will be fine. (note "normally"), I had a very bad experience with some wood I purchased from my LFS, and I got this issue and all of the information on the net suggested this not an issue and would burn out, mine turned to be toxic (to fish only) and I lost 12 Penguin Tetras. Just something to be aware of.

HTH
 
Unless you intend to attach plants to the wood, you can lift it out and scrape the fungus off every time it appears.

I had this problem with some wood I bought (the label said Aqua One azalea root) but after soaking it for almost a month, and scrubbing the wood on an almost daily basis, the "snot" kept coming back and making the water cloudy. In the end I gave up and bought a different type of wood. The azalea root is still in the shed, I'm toying with the idea of getting some air plants for it :unsure:
 
Looking at your current set-up, I think that the chances of your fungus 'burning out' soon, is remote.
Looking at your substrate, you've provided it with a yummy banquet.
There are anti-fungal medications available and, since your tank is currently fish-free, you could blitz the tank, using one of these. If you go this route, just be sure to do lots of water changes, once the fungus has disappeared, just to be sure that the (unwanted) medication is no longer in the tank for when your fish arrive.
 
Hi,

Normally it will burn out in time and plants will be fine. (note "normally"), I had a very bad experience with some wood I purchased from my LFS, and I got this issue and all of the information on the net suggested this not an issue and would burn out, mine turned to be toxic (to fish only) and I lost 12 Penguin Tetras. Just something to be aware of.

HTH
There are no fish in the tank at the moment (only a week old) so I might plant all my plants and then see if it goes by itself. Will test the water prior to adding fish. Can I add bacterlife when I’ve planted or do it before?
 
Looking at your current set-up, I think that the chances of your fungus 'burning out' soon, is remote.
Looking at your substrate, you've provided it with a yummy banquet.
There are anti-fungal medications available and, since your tank is currently fish-free, you could blitz the tank, using one of these. If you go this route, just be sure to do lots of water changes, once the fungus has disappeared, just to be sure that the (unwanted) medication is no longer in the tank for when your fish arrive.
Would this medication be okay with all the plants I’ve just bought?
 
There are no fish in the tank at the moment (only a week old) so I might plant all my plants and then see if it goes by itself. Will test the water prior to adding fish. Can I add bacterlife when I’ve planted or do it before?
Bacteria needs something to grow on and this would include, not only your filter media, but the substrate, rocks, wood and plants. Think of every available surface as contributing to your biological filtration.
So you can add your Bacterlife, if that's what you're using, before adding the plants, but there's little point in delaying your planting. The sooner your plants are in, the sooner they'll be established and be better able to take on the planty duties.
(This stage of the game is also a useful one for seeing what plants will thrive in your tank and which ones won't...long before you add fish).
 
Your real issue is, whether or not this fungus is toxic. If it is not toxic, then it is not a problem; some grazing/rasping fish like the loricariids will eat this. But if this is a toxic species of fungus, it can (and will) kill all the fish. The fungus comes from inside the wood, so it can continue to appear for months, regardless of how much you "clean" the wood. The only way to determine if it is toxic is by examination by a professional microbiologist. Of course, if it is left and fish show signs of distress and die you will know it is toxic, but that is a risk I would not take. I had a piece of lovely branchwood that had a toxic fungus, and I was fortunate to get it out before I lost fish. Others have not been so fortunate.
 

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